


Not A Battle To Be Won

by stargazerdaisy



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: CW 2020, Chenford Week, Day 3, F/M, Future Fic, Lucy is wise and knows when to fight and when to fold, Off Duty, Parenting Woes, Tim has the feistiest daughter ever, Tim is still learning, and she might be the only person to out-stubborn him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25255123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargazerdaisy/pseuds/stargazerdaisy
Summary: Four year olds are stubborn creatures by nature.  And the daughter of Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen is no exception.  In fact, she proves the point more so than most kids.  And when her dad insists she eat something she really hates, she’s not going to take it lying down.
Relationships: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 20
Kudos: 84
Collections: Chenford Week 2020





	Not A Battle To Be Won

“But I don’t waaaaaannt salmon! I want chicken nuggets!” Riley Bradford yelled, stomping her foot and tossing her curls. 

Her mother tried to hide her smile behind her hand, letting Tim fight this battle. After all, he was the one who insisted that their four year old eat the same meal as they did. For the most part she agreed with the philosophy; wanting their kids to like lots of different foods and hating the idea of making two meals every time. But Riley hated fish with a passion and refused to eat it, objecting loudly whenever it was suggested. Knowing it wasn’t worth her time or emotions on it, Lucy would usually just make nuggets or a sandwich for the little girl when fish was on the menu. Her husband, however, had not come to the same conclusion (yet) and pushed it with Riley every time, despite Lucy trying to talk him out of it. So, this was his hill to die on and she was going to stay out of it. Plus, she had her hands full getting the potatoes ready for boiling. 

“Now, Riley,” he started. “Salmon is really healthy for you. It has lots of protein and amino acids that your body needs to grow big and strong.”

“It smells yucky,” she growled. 

“But it won’t when we cook it. Look! You like lemons, right?” he pleaded. “We’re going to cook it with lemons on it!” 

“Gross,” she scoffed. 

“Do you want to help me make it?” he offered, trying to both distract her from fighting over eating it and give her choices, like the parenting books all recommended. 

“It’s slimy,” she said, refusing to entertain the thought. 

Tim turned to Lucy in despair. ‘Help,’ he mouthed. 

She shook her head in refusal. “You started it,” she whispered, out of Riley’s line of sight. 

With a grimace directed at his wife, Tim turned back to the preschooler and tried a new tactic. “If you eat the salmon, you can have ice cream tonight.”

If he heard the snort behind him, he didn’t react in any way. 

“With hot fudge?” Riley asked, intrigued by the proposal. Her dad was not usually one to bribe her like that. 

“Sure?” 

She hummed in thought for a minute. “Nope!” 

“Come on, kiddo. Please?” 

“No.” She held firm.

Just before Tim could launch into a new diatribe (and she could tell he was about to do just that, his big intake of air a signal she had learned all those years ago as a rookie), Lucy broke in. “Want to come help me, bunny? I need to get all these potatoes washed and there’s so many!”

“Okay, Mama!” the little girl readily agreed, skipping over to the stool Lucy pulled out of the pantry. 

Tim just gaped at how quickly her antagonism disappeared and her sweet, cooperative nature came back. 

“Go get your apron out of your room too,” Lucy reminded her daughter. “Washing can get messy.”

With Riley out of earshot, Tim leaned over. “How did you get her to agree?!” he asked in a whisper, confused by the whole interaction.

“Well, I’m not asking her to do something she hates,” Lucy explained quietly. “You know she won’t eat fish.”

“She needs to learn-”

“Nope, not getting into this again,” Lucy stopped him. “Either fight it and everyone will end up upset or find a compromise. You’re the adult, remember?”

“I’m ready!” Riley announced as she jumped up on the stool. 

“Great! Now I need you to count out six potatoes and put them in the sink. Then we’ll wash them, like we do with your toys in the bath. Got it?”

“Got it, Mama!” 

Mother and daughter worked in tandem to get the potatoes washed, then Lucy peeled and chopped them before dumping them into the pot. From the other counter, Tim kept shooting them looks, both plainitive and scowling, while he finished preparing the salmon. He was just heading out to the grill on the patio when he heard Lucy address Riley.

“Alright, bunny. These need a while to cook, so why don’t you go pick up the Duplos in the living room and then when they’re ready, you can help me mash them.”

The little girl nodded her agreement and scampered off to the other room. Knowing he was sulking outside, Lucy slipped out the sliding door. She came up behind him at the grill and slipped her arms around his waist. It was a little tighter to do these days, but he responded as he always did, stroking one of her arms with his hand and turning his head to give her a kiss.

“You know you’re still her favorite, right?” she asked. 

He grumbled noncommittally in response, looking away and poking at the grill.

“Seriously. She’ll barely let me put her to bed when you’re working a late shift,” Lucy said. “And even then, half the time she tells me she’ll just wait up until you get home, no matter how late it will be.”

“So that’s why she’s always on the floor, with her flashlight, when I come in to check on her?” he asked.

“Mmhmm,” she hummed. “There is no bigger hero in her life than Daddy. Which, you know, isn’t very fair, because I am pretty badass too.”

Tim chuckled softly, his frustration lifting. “That you are.” Tugging Lucy around from behind him and tucking her in against his side, he put his hand on her rounded belly. “Maybe you’ll have better luck with this one.”

“Considering we’re getting another girl, I don’t think I stand a chance,” she laughed. “But that’s okay. You’re a pretty good hero to have.”

“You think so?” he said with a grin. “Even if I make you eat fish?”

“Considering all the Tim Tests you put me through that first year, eating fish is a reward,” she teased. “Especially if it’s as delicious as this salmon.”

Another groan escaped him. “Why won’t she eat this?”

“Tim, babe, just let it go,” Lucy pleaded. “She eats almost everything else, let her have this one thing that she hates. After all, you don’t see me harping on you to eat asparagus, do you?”

“Well, that’s different.” He bristled slightly, then cracked a grin. “Asparagus is objectively terrible and no one should eat it. Ever.”

“And yet, your daughter scarfs it right down whenever I make it,” she pointed out, chuckling. “But you don’t like it, so you don’t eat it, and I don’t give you crap about it. She’s not fighting for the sake of fighting, she truly doesn’t like fish. So maybe this isn’t the hill to die on?”

He thought quietly for a moment, then sighed heavily. “Fine.”

“See? I knew you could be reasonable,” she said, kissing his cheek. “I’ll throw the nuggets in the oven.”

As the family sat down around the table, Lucy couldn’t help but smile at the scene. Riley and Tim were back to beaming at each other and chattering like they were in their own little world. The little one inside her kicked and squirmed. And she just marveled at all she had in her life. Chicken nuggets, asparagus, and love.


End file.
